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Lufenuron indirectly downregulates Vitellogenin in the boll weevil females reducing egg viability
Author(s) -
Cruz Glaucilane S.,
WanderleyTeixeira Valéria,
Antonino José Dijair,
Gonçalves Gabriel G. A.,
Costa Hilton N.,
Ferreira Maria Clara N.,
Neto Clovis L.,
Alves Luiz C.,
Santos Fábio André B.,
Teixeira Álvaro A. C.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
physiological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-3032
pISSN - 0307-6962
DOI - 10.1111/phen.12337
Subject(s) - lufenuron , vitellogenin , biology , vitellogenesis , vitellogenins , anthonomus , botany , biochemistry , larva , genetics , oocyte , boll weevil , gene , embryo
Abstract Lufenuron, a molecule that belongs to the chitin synthesis inhibitors group of insect growth regulators, has a still unclear mode of action, but probably it affects chitin synthesis at a post‐transcriptional level. In this work, we report the effects of lufenuron on nutrition and reproduction in adult females of Anthonomus grandis , the main neotropical cotton pest and tried to link the effects on peritrophic matrix (PM) with egg viability. After Lufenuron treatment A. grandis females presented weight loss and less accumulation of protein and lipids probably due to PM breakdown. Also, treated females produce the same quantity of eggs as the control, although eggs from lufenuron‐treated females were less viable. After morphological and histochemical analysis, we have noticed that oocytes from lufenuron‐treated females contained less protein. Finally, lufenuron‐treated females produced at least nine times less vitellogenin (AgraVg) RNA than control females. We specifically showed that lufenuron treatment caused PM disruption and it has probably led to vitellogenin (AgraVg) downregulation in females culminating in egg unviability. The effect of lufenuron on PM leads to insect malnutrition, and this malnutrition downregulates vitellogenin among other genes. This is the first work that describes and tries to correlate the lufenuron effects on adult females.